Forgotten Memories
by z.a. franks
Summary: With a weak heart and an empty mind, Honda Tohru had strange dreams of her past. And there was only one person she kept on dreaming of: Her days and memories with her "husband". Yukiru
1. 1

Need Advice

By zafranks

_Hey, I'm back from vacation!!!! :) And I'm happy I can write again. _

_To all those who have read the original first chapter of Need Advice, I'm really sorry but I need to change the whole thing. Hehehe… I really thought about it and I kinda like the concept of Lys-san's (lys3) story. _

**_Read "Change of Fate" By Lys3. It's GOOD ::Claps Wildly with Standing Oblation::!_**

_Simon: Honestly, I think it's the most pathe--_

_Zoe: Oh shut up, Simon!_

_Anyway, here's the story. Have fun! :)_

_… and please tell me if you hate it._

----

It was 1:00 in the evening. The heavy rain poured at the city where the main house resides. Despite of the damp atmosphere at the outdoors, there was piece and quite inside. Nobody was awake at that time of the night.

Well, at least, nobody _should _be awake. But there was one who tried to stay up a shattered mug woke him intensely. _Great, there goes my savings… _he thought.

College graduate Sohma Yuki sat upright from the couch and slowly stretched his arms. He checked his watch for the time. He yawned and groaned sleepily. Then he sat back again on the couch. He did this amazingly ten times already for the night.

Obviously, he was waiting for someone to come in the house.

"Where could she be?!" he whispered to himself. For the fifth time in his life, he was forced to wait for her in the living room for almost eight hours. He couldn't help it. He tried to sleep. He tried to close his eyes and think that she would be home soon.

"Yuki…kun?" Yuki turned to look at young Kisa Sohma coming down from the stairs. She stared at him sleepily. "Ne-san is not here yet?"

"Yeah, there might be some late business thing, I guess." He said. That was always her excuse. In fact, that was the excuse he was forced to understand.

"… is that Gure's mug?" she pointed at the broken mug on the floor.

"I'll… fix that up later." He said hastily. "You can't sleep too? Would you like some warm milk?"

"No… I'll think I'll have apple juice." She dragged herself to the kitchen while Yuki relaxed himself on the couch. After that, his phone rang. 

"Yuki Sohma---"

"Yuki, come to my office this instant." The voice almost yelled at him on the phone.

"Hatori-san, all of this seems normal to you: awake past midnight and calling everyone for you to bother but," Yuki yawned again, "I feel so sleepy and I'm still waiting for Honda-san to---"

"She's here." Hatori pressed. Yuki winced for that tone. "Come to my office. I think her sickness is getting serious."

"Sickness? I thought you said there was a cure?"

"I'm afraid…" Hatori sighed. "… I am wrong this time."

----------

_The year before Yuki's graduation was Akito's funeral._

_Every Sohma was there and it crowded the whole main house. Everyone was dressed in black and of course, there were hired mourners around the corner. Nobody would like to mourn for the clan head. _

_"It's a wonder," Tohru whispered, "why would Akito-san spend his last days inside his room and not go outside and face the world?" She stared at the cherry blossoms that were planted at the entrance of the main house._

_"That's because he's such a jerk." _

_"Kyou-san!" Tohru hissed._

_"Why? That's the reality!" he laughed. "Hey, Tohru, guess what? I just passed all my final exams!" Kyou jumped up and down. I'm actually going to graduate with you!"_

_"Really?! That's great!" she smiled happily. "I didn't know Kyou-san is a very good artist."_

_"It's in the genes, Tohru." He boasted. "I'm really into fine arts."_

_After the funeral, Yuki stood by the grave of Akito Sohma, the one who tortured him, the one who kept him in the dark, the one who gave him fear and suffering. Now, it has all ended in one final moment. He sighed softly, not knowing what other things might happen after this._

_"Yuki… kun?" Tohru slowly approached the Sohma near the grave. "How are you feeling?"_

_"Tohru-kun… what did you feel when your mother died?" he asked unknowingly._

_She stared at the tombstone. "Empty. Like something went missing, taken away… and I had nothing to do about it. It is a feeling of being alone and forgotten." She smiled. "But that only lasted for a moment. Okaa-san told me that she would be with me always. I had nothing to fear at all."_

_"Yuki-kun?" she glanced at him. There was an unreadable expression on his face. "Are you alright?"_

_"…why can't I feel anything?" he looked at her. "Is that bad?"_

_"No…" she shook her head. "You just don't understand him."_

_---_

_"Sohma Kyou" Kyou hastily stood up from his seat and hurried up the stage._

_"GO my beloved!" Kagura called from the audience. "That's my love! That's my future husband!"_

_Kyou groaned angrily as he got his diploma and bowed in front of the audience. After the bow, cameras began flashing._

_"I… hate cameras…" he hissed to himself._

_"I need to order of his graduation pics." Kagura smiled._

_"Honda Tohru" the loudspeaker called. Tohru got up from her seat, wearing a long black graduation gown and went up the stage. The Sohma crowd applauded, which was inappropriate at this time. One of the people in the crowd was Yuki himself and next to him was Hatori._

_"I'm glad you can make it in her graduation." Yuki whispered to the doctor._

_"I decided to see this moment." Hatori whispered. "I can't believe it that you two are not in the same course."_

_"Tohru-san decided to be a nurse." He grinned. "I think nursing is not appropriate for me."_

_"That's why she graduates first. Engineering courses lasts for five years--"_

_"I know and Nursing is four years." Yuki replied._

_"Are you sure you are okay about this?"_

_"Hatori, Tohru is standing on the stage, getting her diploma and bowing in front of the audience. Do you think I have the right to go up there and stop her? And besides, this is her mother's dream. I don't want to be a hindrance." He explained._

_"I see… I suppose you can last another year in college without her?"_

_"Of course I can." He smiled. "I'm still member of the student council, remember?"_

_Hatori laughed. "You still are the same old--"_

_"Oh my GOD?!" Kagura almost yelled as she pointed at the stage._

_There, Yuki saw Tohru falling down the steps._

-------

It must be some accident. But it wasn't.

Tohru is sick.

"Where is she?" It was 2:30 in the morning. Yuki was completely wet from the rain. He didn't bother to bring an umbrella. He was too worried, too sleepy and too tired to understand the words Hatori mentioned to him on the phone.

_"She's dying, Yuki, and I can't do anything to stop her sickness."_

"She's resting in the guest room." Hatori explained. "I found her unconscious at the steps of her office. She still has the same symptoms and…it has gotten worse. I'm really sorry, Yuki. She has about a month to live."

---

Yuki entered the guest room and found Tohru sleeping peacefully on the bed. He silently pulled a chair towards the bedside and sat on it. He stared at her and sighed.

Now he felt like crying.

But tears wouldn't come out.

He was too tired… the heavy feeling on his chest… he was about to lose somebody in 30 days the woman he dearly loved since high school.

And he has nothing to do about it.

_How come I don't feel anything?_ He asked himself.

Tohru voice rang on his head. _You just don't understand…_

"What is there to understand?" he whispered. He closed his eyes slowly and just before he went to sleep, a small tear ran down to his cheek.

And everything was quiet.

_---------------_

_Finally I finished the first chapter. But I still consider this as the prologue. It sounded like a climax to me. :) Am I going to kill Tohru this time? Maybe yes… maybe not. Oh well, there goes the first chapter… and 29 more chapters to go!_

_That's right, countdown of 30 days. _

_I think I need to change the title "Need Advice"… :) _

_R&R!!!_


	2. 2

_Thank you for your wonderful reviews… sigh I really missed writing… Keep on reading, ok?_

----

_Tohru end up at the hospital bed thirty minutes after her fall from the stage._

_Yuki found her conscious in bed, smiling widely as usual. "Yuki-kun!" she called._

_"Honda-san…" he slowly approached her and held her hand. "Are you okay?"_

_She nodded. "Sorry if I ruined such perfect moment."_

_"No, Honda-san… it happens all the time… once per graduation." He assured. She laughed heartily at his cheer-up joke. He felt the same. But deep down, he felt the heavy burden that Tohru should carry._

_5 minutes ago, before he saw Tohru lying on her bed, Hatori approached him sadly. "We have a problem."_

---

Hatori drove Yuki and Tohru back to the main house. It was nearly 6:00 in the morning and the chilly air blew softly as they got out the car. Tohru was still wobbling a bit from her sleep, so Yuki cautiously held her up with getting too close to her.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Hatori asked.

Yuki glanced at the driver's seat. "No worries. Just make sure you find the antidote."

"But Yuki, there's no---"

"Find one." Yuki said firmly before he headed to the main house with Tohru.

Hatori sighed heavily. He had been busy during the day and all awake during the night. Now, he'll be busy finding the antidote for Tohru.

"What a life." He murmured.

-------

Kyou enjoyed the feeling of the morning air on his face, the view from the horizon, and stillness of the surroundings. He sat back and yawned. It was indeed a very good day.

"Honda-san… hold still--" he heard from below.

He quickly but quietly walked to the edge to the roof and took a peek from above.

Yuki just passed by the walkway… with Tohru on Yuki's grip.

_You got to be kidding me!_ He thought angrily. _What the hell is that rat doing with her?!_

He climbed down from the roof and ran quickly to Tohru's room. _There must be something wrong with--_  
To his surprise, the room was empty.

----

Shigure checked the morning papers and found a very interesting article. He called up his editor and greeted hello.

"Are you bothering me?" she asked

"Mit-chan, da-a-arling! Good MO-O-ORNING!" Shigure greeted happily. "I was wondering if you checked the morning papers."

The line was quiet.

"Hello?"

"You called me because of THAT?!"

"DO you remember my co-author?" Shigure hissed while crumpling the newspaper. "The one that I dismissed because of his… unfortunate works with me?"

"Yeah… the good looking one---"

"HE HAS AN ARTICLE IN THE PAPER!" the inu yelled. "And guessed what? He's destructively criticizing my BOOK!"

"Ooh, really? That's nice." Mit-chan laughed. "He's a critic now. I heard that he earns a lot more than you do."

Shigure stared at the paper. "If I get my hands on him, I'll---"

"Honestly," the editor calmly said, "I think you're just jealous because most people are in favor of him--"

"NO I'M NOT!!!"

----

"How are you feeling?" Yuki asked as he wiped her forehead with a cold cloth.

"I'm fine…" Her hands were a bit shaking and she kept on jerking whenever the cloth touches her head. Slowly, tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I must have… kept you up all night."

"It's okay, Tohru-san…" he smiled.

"… I fell down the steps again." She said sadly. "What happening to me?!" More tears fell, and Yuki was rubbing her shoulders intensely.

He could just say it, everything that he knew, everything that he kept from her, everything that Hatori told him that day when Tohru fell on her very graduation.

But he can't. "You won't understand."

"Huh?" she looked at him innocently.

"You're just tired." He assured. "You've been going home past midnight. You've been working all day from the hospital to the agency."

"Really?" she thought. "Yeah, maybe I WAS exhausted."

"Yeah… yeah, you were exhausted." He nodded. "Don't do that again, okay? Overdoing things is not good for you."

"Ok." She smiled. "I'll talk it over to my boss."

"Good." He smiled. "Besides, you did fell down the steps, but at least there's no crowd."

Tohru laughed again happily. Yuki giggled with her but still deep down, he felt the heavy burden on his chest.

He carried her burden for her to be happy.

He felt like crying, but he was so tired.

"You should get some sleep, Yuki-kun." She said. "I already got mine."

--------

_It was an hour after Tohru's graduation._

_"What do you mean she's sick?!" Kyou gripped on Yuki's collar. Ayame tried to pull him away while the other watched their cousins. The hospital attendants were also watching in horror. _

_"She can't be sick! She can't be! She's… she's …" Kyou yelled. "She's Tohru!"_

_"That's what I first said to Hatori when he told me about it." Yuki replied softly. _

_"AND?!"_

_"… I can't change what happened." Yuki looked away. Kyou let him go and moved away from him._

_"This can't be happening…" Kagura shook her head._

_"Her sickness is serious." Yuki explained. "Hatori's fellow colleges couldn't explain it. Somehow, they'll find a way out it. Hatori won't let Tohru die."_

_Kisa tugged his sleeve. "Ne-san will be cured, right?" _

_"Yes… she will be…"_

_"Let's confirm this from Hari-san himself!" Ayame declared._

---

"Hey, have you seen that damn nezumi?!" Kyou yelled at Shigure, who was inside his new-well fixed office.

"Where are your manners, child?" Shigure smirked.

"WHAT ARE YOU---"

"Temper, temper…" the inu laughed. "He didn't pass here, sorry." He went on on his typing.

Kyou went on to his room (amazingly) when Yuki was at the end of the hallway.

"KUSO NEZUMI!!!" he called out angrily. Before he would even pummel his cousin, Yuki stared at him blankly.

"It's getting worse."

Kyou stopped moving. "What?"

"She's getting worse." Yuki repeated. "She passed out near the agency. Hatori found her luckily. That's why I went home with her… if that's what you wanted to know."

Kyou lowered his fist and stared at his cousin. For the first time in his life, he _forgot_ to punch his rival. "Do you think we should tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"Everything…" the neko explained. "I mean… EVERYTHING?"

Yuki thought for a moment. _To ease the pain. To let go of the burden that I carried for almost a year. To… make her worry. _"Not yet."

"What's wrong with you?!" Kyou yelled. "DO you think she would want that? All those memories she was forced to forget? All these months that she suffered and our only reason was that she's tired?"

"It's better than telling somebody that they're going to die in a month." He pressed.

-----------

_"Do… do I have to?" she gazed at him. He looked at her sadly._

_"I'm sorry, Tohru… but I need to do this." He assured her before he tucked her under the thick hospital blanket sheets. "It's for your own good. I don't want you to feel… too much pain."_

_She looked away. "Can you please tell Yuki that… I love him?"_

_He bit his lower lip. _This should not happen. _"Of course… I will."_

Hatori woke up from his desk. He was sweating all over and his heart was pumping wildly. He felt the sense of guilt that he didn't fulfilled Tohru's wishes.

"There must be a way to cure her." He got up from his chair and rushed out of his office.

----------

**Author's Notes: **Yehey! The second chapter! I had a hard time thinking though. I'm studying for a college entrance exam (but that's in 2 months). I've been challenging my brother for the computer and… I think I'm suffering from writer's block! Yuki-sama, help me!!!!__


	3. 3

28 days to live.

Tohru woke up on her bed that morning and smelled the sweet scent of breakfast. She was about to get up but she saw someone right next to her carrying a tray. "Huh? What?" Tohru rubbed her eyes and pinched herself. She's not dreaming.

"Good morning." Yuki greeted her as he placed a tray full of food on her lap. He smiled at her. "Are you hungry?"

"Wait! I'm suppose to cook and…" she stopped. "What time is it?"

"Quarter past ten?"

"I'M LATE!!!" She almost knocked the tray out of her lap when Yuki grabbed her shoulders and steadied it.

"Hey, calm down!" he said. "It's Saturday, remember?"

"Oh…" Tohru thought and laughed. "I'm sorry, I must have thought I need to work today to finish those papers."

Yuki sat on the bedside and arranged the tray again. "What papers?"

"Some will from your clan." She helped herself with a slice of apple. "Do you happen to know anyone in the name of Akito Sohma?"

Yuki stopped for a moment. _Will? From Akito? _He stared at her curiously. "I never knew that Akito _had_ a will."

"SO you do know him!" she said. "What's your connection to him?"

_This is going on a wrong track. _"H-How did get those papers?"

"Well it was passed to me. I think it would be better if I would handle the papers rather than somebody else. You know, now I had a connection with a Sohma." She giggled. "Oh yes, I need to buy some things today and--"

"It's all done." Yuki nodded. "Kagura and Kisa went to the grocery this morning for breakfast."

"Laundry?"

"Done yesterday."

"House chores!"

"Hired a cleaner." Yuki smiled.

"… need another cleaner?" Tohru smiled sweetly which made him laugh.

"Tohru, you don't need to do house chores today. For once, everyone is acting as though they're adults."

Tohru stared at him. "We _are _adults."

"Yes, that's why we are doing the chores on our own." Yuki explained. "You've been working and doing house chores ever since highschool---"

"I DID?!" she asked him.

_Oops, I slipped. Me and my big tongue. _"Y-Yes, you did." He replied.

"But I was a rich mistress of some company and I survived a lot of assassination attempts. And because of that, my dad placed me here so that I'll be safe." She told him.

_Oh yes, the made up story for her to remember. _"Yeah… that's true and you were so helpful back at home that you were made to do house chores for your family."

"I DID?!" she wondered. "Maybe the maid is out or something." She thought for a moment. "How come I couldn't remember?" she asked herself.

Yuki sighed softly and smiled. "It's because you're _hungry._" He teased while taking a sliced apple and popped it on his mouth.

"Hey, that's my apple." She grumbled.

"I made it for you." He smiled.

At that moment, Tohru felt something that she hadn't felt before. _How come I feel so connected to him? Like I've known him before… maybe he's one of my dad's workers. But… impossible… it's like we've been friends…_

"Hey, NEZUMI?!" Kyou called from outside. "I'm warning you. If won't come out know, I'm going inside!!!"

Yuki groaned and shook his head. "I'll be right back." Then he left the room.

_She just asked me who is Akito. It's a good thing she's didn't ask again who he was. But then again…_

_Akito's will?_

-------------

"Ahh, sunny day today, ain't it, Tori-san?" Ayame cheered while gaping at the doctor next to him, who was seriously reading a medical book.

"Move away." Hatori warned.

"Leave him alone, Aya-san." Shigure said while writing something down on his notebook. "I've heard from his assistants that he had been reading that book since last night."

"Assistants?"

"Yeah." Shigure stared at Aya from his classes. "_Female _assistants."

"Female?" Aya said excitingly.

"_College freshies, partime, **female** _assistants." Shigure nodded.

Ayame gaped at Hatori once more. "Virgin?"

Hatori stared at his cousin next to him and the inu in front of him. Both of them were nearly drooling for the answer. "You _got _to be kidding me. The last time you did that with my _former _assistants you were jailed. I need to bail you out for crying out loud!"

"But we ditched her because she's a _lesbian_." The novelist explained. "We want someone who's _not_."

"Yeah, just give us one and Gure and I will share it."

Hatori stared at Aya. "_SHARE? _How exactly are you going to _share_? I mean, I think one is not _enough_ for you."

"Tori, Tori, Tori. It's obvious you haven't read a porn magazine before." Ayame shook his head.

"Yeah, men in the magazine can share as long as you know where to grab." Shigure nodded suspiciously.

"Grab?" Hatori repeated.

"Can you believe it that 4 guys can share with one woman?"

"We've seen a picture of it in the latest issue." Ayame smiled. "There's a step by step guide on how to do it---"

"That's it." Hatori got up and grabbed his coat. "I won't let you in inside my office anymore."

"But---" Ayame grabbed his arm.

"Don't do that to us!" Shigure grabbed the other arm. "You know we can't survive without women. Men and women coexist with each other!"

"That's right. We do our part. They do their part!" Ayame begged while Hatori tried to struggle away. "There's no way you can separate us from… them!"

Hatori sighed. "Find another woman to torture. They're college students. At least you would understand." He stared at them. "Imagine they were Tohru. Would you do that to her?"

Both cousins stopped and let Hatori go. "All of them?" Ayame asked.

"All of them." Hatori repeated. "Now use your head."

"Gosh that would be…" Ayame thought. "Awful."

"Good." He turned to leave. "That's why I won't let in my office."

Shigure yelled. "At least can we get their phone number?"

-----------

Kyou landed hard on the ground. He winced in pain and Yuki stood next to him.

"I thought you were taking extra classes with sensei?" Yuki yelled at him.

"I did." Kyou slowly got up. "Let's get this over with."

Yuki gave him the you've-got-no-chance-to-beat-me look. "I am certainly wasting all my precious life to battle you. Why can't we just get this over with?"

"I have a better idea." Kyou grunted and raised his fists. "Could you could just move a little to the left, blindfold yourself and don't move?"

The nezumi laughed. "That would certainly be very wrong for me."

"Ok, now stop negotiating and let's fight---"

"Aah!!!" someone yelled from the main house.

------------

Tohru woke up from her bed. She must have slept again after she ate the breakfast Yuki prepared for her. She shivered and almost cried. She didn't know why.

She just did. Her body just responded at her dream so violently.

_Who are they?_

**_It was raining hard outside._**

**_She slowly stepped back. The man in kimono smiled at her. "That was a good kiss."_**

**_She was breathing heavily. He heart was pumping harder than the usual. The grin that she caught from his mouth gave her the chill. _****This is so wrong.**

_Who is he? How come I felt different and scared in my dream?_

**_"At least for now, you should have noticed." The man said in a coarse voice. "I welcomed you in my home… and for once, I let you do everything… but I think you've gone too far."_**

**_Then she felt an uneasy pain on her stomach. Crimson liquid touched her feet. She saw herself bleeding after the man stabbed her._**

**_"Goodbye." He whispered. "Tohru Sohma…"_**

**_Then somebody yelled from the door. She glanced at it._**

**_It was Yuki… with tears on his eyes._**

"Yuki?" She asked herself. A tear fell from her eye. _Why was Yuki crying? Why was I stabbed? Who was that guy? _

_And my name… Tohru Sohma…_

_AM I connected that to them?_

The next thing Tohru knew is that people went inside her room and started to flood her with questions she couldn't hear… because she didn't know who they really are… and who she really was.

****

**Author's notes: **Yes, I'm cured from writer's block! Hehe. Remember that I was going to make a sort of "countdown chapter", so that means 30 chapters all in all. Unfortunately, I think I wouldn't do that. It's sort of impossible. For example, this chapter ended in the morning. Then if I make another chapter for another day, then what happens in the afternoon of this chapter?

…I hope you understood me. Review please!

**Oh yes, I changed the title temporarily. I might think of a better title soon. Gosh, I'm the author and I don't know what the title is. WHAT KIND OF PERSON AM I?!**


	4. 4

"Is our little princess alright?" Ayame asked as Hatori got out from her room. He sighed heavily and the rest stared at anticipation. This has never happened before but this was what Hatori had expected.

"It's getting worse everyday." He told his cousins. "All I can do was to give her a shot of penicillin. It's a good thing that I haven't left yet when she screamed."

"It's like she has woken from a strange dream." Gure nodded and wondered. "There must be something in that dream."

"True, true, Gure-san." Ayame nodded quickly. "She must have dreamt something so awful. It must have been a memory that you erased, Hatori. What if it's true? What if every memory came back to her?"

"That is not my problem in the meantime." The doctor said as he placed the stethoscope back to his bag. "I still need to find her cure. Make sure nobody goes inside except Kagura and Yuki."

"Wait a minute," Gure raised his hand to stop Hatori. "I understand that Kagura will be the one who will deliver the food and medicine to her but… why Yuki?"

"He forced me to." Hatori replied with a grin.

-------------

"Are you ok?" Yuki asked again while he gripped her hand. She almost chuckled but Kagura eyed her about the thermometer at her mouth.

"Yuki, give her a rest, will ya?" the boar sighed. "Finally, I get to use my nursing skill on a real patient."

"Mm nmt smik." Tohru mumbled at the thermometer.

"Patience, Tohru-san. 30 more seconds." Kagura reminded.

Yuki still held on Tohru's hand. That morning, when she woke up, she was completely fine. In fact, she laughed and talked in front of him. Everything was normal. _I just went down to battle the neko and everything went like this. _

_Now, I feel like I don't want to leave her alone again. _

"There, it's done." Kagura took the thermometer and read it. "Hmm, no fever."

"That's what I'm saying." Tohru grumbled. "I'm not sick."

"Yeah, but just to be sure." She took a small medicine case and gave her a tablet. "Hatori said you have to drink this before you eat your lunch."

"Another one?" The poor girl whined as she took it from Kagura's hand. When they were left alone, her eyes were focused on Yuki's hand. "Um.. you can let me go now, Yuki-kun."

It seems like Yuki didn't hear her. SO she repeated. "Yuki? I'm fine." She whispered softly. "You can let me go now."

"What happened?" he asked himself out loud. Tohru bit her lower lip. The dream came into her again. And the name struck her hard. _Tohru Sohma_. She wondered under deep breaths. _I need to ask him---_

"Are you ok?" Yuki's worried eyes stared hers. It took a while before she stared at him back.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…" Her voice trailed off. Somehow, she didn't know that right words to say.

"If there's anything you would like to ask me," he began, "just tell. It's much better if you would tell it to someone rather than keeping it all there." He pointed at her chest.

_It's true, _she agreed, _but how am I suppose to say this?_

_Whatever it is she is about to ask, _Yuki told himself, _get ready for an answer. I'm sorry Tohru, but I think I have to lie again._

She then looked at him determinedly and sighed. "Am I connected to Sohmas in anyway?"

---------------

"Kuso…" Kyou winced as he touched the bruised part at his chest. Haru laughed at him and grinned.

"In some way, I wonder why you don't give up." He hissed.

"Shut up!" Kyou yelled at him angrily.

"Hey, now that Tohru is in really sick, I suppose that you would leave Yuki alone for a while right?" Haru wondered. "I mean, he's worried sick about Tohru and---"

Kyou suddenly grabbed his cousin sleeve and knocked him out of the chair. He pressed him against the wall and growled. "Don't… say it like that…"

"Hey… take it easy…" Haru almost choked.

"Do you think that Yuki is the only one who is worried _sick_ about her?!"

"Hold on… I di—didn't say that!"

Kyou tightened his grip, angrily stared at Haru. "Make sure you wouldn't."

Haru shut his eyes tight, then he regained his focused. He gripped Kyou's hand shoved it away. At last, the black Haru was awake. "Then stop me."

This time Kyou backed away. "The only opponent that I would battle with is that damn rat!" he yelled and turned away. He went to his room and locked the door behind him. Then he felt the awkwardness at his position. _DO I really care that much about Tohru?_

He sat at his bed and thought hard about the time when he once envied Yuki. He knew that Yuki and Tohru went steady during college, since they both go to the same university. Kyou had to follow his sensei's footsteps to the province to finish fine arts. Every night he would wonder what Yuki did to make her happy everyday, what he did to make her look at him…

What Yuki did to make her love him more…

------------------

_It was college summer vacation._

Kyou held his bag near him and stood upright. The bus was about to make it's last stop, the street where the main house resides. Finally, I get to meet Tohru again.

He got off and quickly ran towards the house. He couldn't wait to meet the woman who changed his life forever. For years, he had been cursing himself about his strange transformation into a foul, horrible creature. But Tohru was the only one who trusted him and welcomed him in her arms as a person.

_Here I come, Tohru, he whispered to himself, you can welcome me again in your arms._

**::**

_Everything seemed to be normal, except that there was no loud boar screaming his name. Kyou left his bag at the doorstep and quickly went to the kitchen, the first place where he can find Tohru._

_He opened the door. He scanned the room. Nobody was there._

_That's okay, he said to himself, because like a dog, he had keen ears. He heard her laughs somewhere, her voice that somehow rang on his ears. She's near, he can tell._

_He went to the laundry room. There was laundry everywhere but no Tohru._

_He ran to her room, which was also empty. He sighed heavily. He stared at the next room which was Shigure's room. For some reason, he hated that. _Why is her room next to the pervert's?! _He almost yelled at Hatori at that time. _I need a grown up next to her. Besides, she needs somebody who knows literature._ Hatori explained to him calmly._

_Yuki stood next to him and stared at the doctor. _How come I can't? I know literature way better than Shigure.

**::**

_Then it hit him._ Yuki. _The name that polluted his mind during his stay at his dormitory_. She must have stayed with Yuki.

_He thought about where he could find Yuki. But there are two places where he could find Yuki: the garden and his room._

_He started at the closest place: Yuki's room, the most forbidden place in his life._

_He slowly went inside Yuki's room. His mind kept on telling him what could be inside the room. He thought about Tohru and Yuki together on his bed. _That can't happen._ He shook his head. _That rat knows that Tohru's goal was to finish college.

_He peeked inside. Nobody was there._

_Then there was only one option: the garden._

**::**

_He ran towards Yuki's hidden "base". He was so eager to see Tohru but Yuki took her away. He felt so angry that he could tear Yuki up to pieces. _You can't take her away from—

_Then he stopped. He stared and gasped._

_Behind the thick bushes, Yuki and Tohru shared a passionate kiss._

------------

Kyou almost wiped out every furniture he had on his room. The last one he didn't touch was his guitar. He loosened his anger and stared at it.

**I'll make a song for you, Tohru-san while I'm away. I promise.**

**I'll be waiting for it, Kyou-kun.**

Her smiled made him happy. But the memories made him furious.

The question struck him again. _DO I really care that much about Tohru?_

He sat at the floor and held his guitar. "I care about you." He whispered to himself. _No matter how angry I am about you and Yuki, I will keep my promise._

He struck the strings, made a continuous tune and started singing his composed song.

----------------

_I wonder why I'm a bit Kyouru there. Sorry for the Kyouru, Yukiru fans. At least Yuki got his kiss. :) Sorry also for the delay._

**__**


	5. 5

Yuki and Tohru's conversation got interrupted by a loud crashing noise somewhere down the hall. He was furious when he learned that it was the neko who was doing it.

"WHAT'S WRONG NOW?!" he almost yelled at Kyou. "DO YOU WANT TO FIGHT AGAIN?!"

Kyou was sitting at the floor when Yuki came, and he looked up to his cousin when he yelled. "I'm not in the mood." He was holding his guitar and beside him were papers with a lot of scribble.

Yuki stopped himself from grabbing Kyou and tearing him up to pieces. "Hey," he started, "that was my line. I was suppose to say that to you!"

Kyou went back on fiddling the strings of his guitar. "Leave me alone. I think you'd like stay beside her than me."

Yuki left the room with an angry face. But at his back, Kyou almost wrecked the guitar strings by crushing them. Until his mind regained its focus and remembered that it was Kazuma's graduation gift to him, he loosened his grip and sighed heavily.

----------

Tohru sat back on her bed and sighed heavily. _I don't want to sleep again. _She thought, fighting her heavy feeling on her head, urging her to go to sleep. _I don't want to see those dreams again. I felt so bad, like my heart was thumping wildly, my head began to feel heavy, and I'm feeling drained. _

_Was there something that I missed? Something that I didn't understand? Something that I was forced to… forget?_

While on that heavy thought, he began to feel dowsed and went to sleep silently.

----------

Yuki went back on fiddling his papers for the upcoming vacation plan. He already asked Hatori if Tohru would be alright at the beach, "with cool fresh breeze and nice seawater splashing to the shore." Hatoru almost laughed at Yuki's description, but at doctor's prescription, he gave a quick yes with a lot of reminders for her safety.

He sat back at his chair and ran his hand through his soft silvery hair. He already rented a house good for 15 people, including Kazuma and Tohru's friends. It's already big enough for them. All he had to do is to tell everyone about it.

"Hey, lover boy!" Shigure peeped from the door.

"What do you want?" Yuki asked coldly.

"Funny, it is," The inu let himself in, "you had the same impression as Hatori. What wrong with me anyway?! Why wouldn't you all let me inside your study?"

"First of all, it's called a **study** which means **no distractions**." He explained. "Second, you don't have the authority to enter someone's privacy… and life."

"Hey, don't get started on me." He gave up and leaned back at the doorway. "But I think you should know this: Ayame's leaving for Paris tomorrow."

Yuki stood up quickly. "What?!"

"Hey, he… no, WE thought that maybe you shouldn't know. I mean, with you worried and everything." Shigure explained. "You were already organizing everything, and you even paid your brother's debts. For once, he would like to be away just for you to… loosen up."

"But… the outing's tomorrow!" Yuki said. "For once, all of us will be there!"

"I tried to tell him… but it's all fixed."

The young Sohma sat down again and sighed. "Now Hatori's not the only one who is hard to convince." He looked up to Shigure. "Where is he now?"

"Packing at his store." The inu said. "He'll be leaving tonight to tell his client in Paris about his departure. At least they would expect him coming now."

"Client? In Paris? Is this a vacation?" Yuki asked.

"Oh, haven't I mentioned?" Shigure chuckled but slowly frowned. "Ayame-san is leaving for good. He's going to work in Paris."

----------

Hatori kept on driving until he reached a coffee shop.

He ordered the same thing everyday: a dozen bottles of cold frappucino. He still had a lot of papers to sign, a lot of patients to attend, and a lot of books to read for Tohru. It might take him all night to finish it.

Tohru's sickness was a complicated heart failure. Hatori learned from his fellow colleges that her heart couldn't support her daily activities. A virus contracted the valves and stopped it from moving, thus stopping her heart from beating. This sickness was hereditary, so it cannot be easily cured by nutrients and medicine. It could be prevented at first, with a lot of rest, but it was getting worse after every day. The only thing that can cure it was another heart.

_We don't have healthy hearts that can be suitable for your patient. But we're going to find one in 20 days time. I'm sure there would be a heart by then._ He remembered

As for now, the Sohma doctor indulged himself into medical books, searching for another cure. What is the heart couldn't be found? If a heart found, the surgical process was very delicate. What if they failed? Will they lose Tohru forever?

_No. _He shook his head while he got his coffee from the cashier. _We're not going to lose her. There is always another way for everything. _

He went back to his car and was shocked to see a red paper at his car wiper. He picked it up and unfolded it. Big Bold lettered words were seen at the middle:

**YOU THOUGHT WRONG**

A chill went up to his spine. He scanned his surrounding for a man, a car or anything that was ready to hit him. There was none. He stared at the paper again. _You thought wrong…_He wondered, _On what? What was wrong?_

------------

**_The sun shone brightly once more._**

****

**_Tohru went out of the main house. She looked at her side. Yuki and Kyou were there, holding her hands. She glanced at the back. Hatori and Shigure were there. Gure caught her stare. "What's wrong, Tohru-san?"_**

**_"Nothing." she shook her head. _**

What do you mean nothing's wrong?! I'm in deep pain now? What is this dream?! I want to wake up!

**_"I'm glad that's over." Kyou sighed._**

**_"Back to normal again." Hatori nodded._**

**_"It's not normal anymore." Yuki smiled at her. "We had Tohru with us right now, right?"_**

**_"Yeah." Shigure laughed. "Another new member of the family."_**

Member? Family? Wait, I thought I was a mistress of some company— 

**_"What if he bothers again?" Kyou asked suddenly._**

**_"He's a jerk."_**

**_"Good one, nezumi." Kyou laughed._**

**_"He's sick.. and he's not a jerk." Hatori reminded. "Somehow, he gets to be alone all the time. That's why you think he's a jerk. He's just misunderstood."_**

**_After a while Tohru stopped at her tracks and looked back to see the main house at a distance. She thought for a moment before Kyou nudged her. "Oe, something wrong?"_**

**_All of them stared at her. "I knew it. You have that I-have-an-idea look." Shigure happily said. "That's what I get whenever I write a novel."_**

**_"You know… I do have the craziest idea." Tohru looked up to them and said, "Why won't we move to the main house?"_**

**_All of them suddenly frowned at her suggestion._**

****

_----------_

Tohru woke up, but this time, she didn't have any worries or pain in the chest. Instead, she had the feeling of curiousity.

_We don't live here… and I'm not a mistress… but it still didn't answer my question._

_Why is my name Tohru Sohma?_

------

At near sunset, by the mountains, a hooded figure stealthily walked towards an old wrecked house. He knocked at the door and went inside.

"It's all done."

A man at the corner of the room smiled. "Then my fellow pets will experience the most gruesome punishment ever…" he shrieked.

-----------

That night, Hatori kept on looking at the red paper. He couldn't concentrate at his work. _If I continue doing this, I might even give my patients the wrong prescriptions! At least, if I can't figure this our for myself, I need to tell this to someone…_

_Someone whom I can trust…_ He grinned. "Well, who else is it?"

He got his phone and dialed Yuki's mobile number. "Hello?" his voice was heard.

"Yuki, listen. Are you busy?"

"I'm at Aya's house."

"Aya?! Now you're calling me that?! Oh my dear brother---"

"Cut that out." Yuki sneered then he went back to Hatori. "Hey, I think I am a bit busy now. But I think I could spare a few minutes for you."

He heard a loud gasp. "What?! Now you have this… affectionate pity for him?! You would rather talk to him than me?! I'm your brother!" He cried dramatically. "Oh miserable heavens, why have you bestowed me with such pain?! Haven't I endured enough?! Is this another one of your punishments that I should undertake?!"

"Er…" Yuki growled. "What do you need Tori-san?"

"Actually, I'm here to talk about something." Then Hatori narrated about the red paper on his car.

"Really? _You thought wrong._ Maybe some lunatic did it." The nezumi guessed.

"A _sane_ lunatic, perhaps?" Hatori joked. "Listen, I can't concentrate enough on my work because of this. Would you mind to come over at my office?"

"Ha-san, I'm tired. I still need to convince my brother to stay for the vacation trip--"

"And about the trip." Hatori began. "I think I can't---"

"Don't get started on me." Yuki warned. "We talked about this. How am I suppose to get the gang together for only 3 nights?! It's Tohru's birthday, remember?!"

"…I'll try to catch up." The doctor finally said. "But don't expect to much. I might arrive late. I still need to fix a few things here." _And this stupid warning seems to add it up._

"Ok, good luck to your work." Yuki hung up.

-----------------

_Speaking of lunatic…_ Yuki turned around and saw his brother lying down on the floor with his arms open wide, chanting something.

"Now can we talk?" He stared at his brother.

"Shh…" Ayame hushed. "I'm speaking to the heavens."

"Tohru's birthday is tomorrow and I'm planning to throw her party at a beach resort. At least she could have more fun when everybody is there." Yuki explained. "And I hope that everybody will be there."

"Oeoeoeoeoeoe……" Ayame chanted in a monotone.

"Please can you hear me out?!"

"Mieoeoeoeoe…mioeoeoeoe….mieoeoeoeoe…" He chanted louder.

"HELLO?!?!"

"MIEOEOEOEOE…MIEIEOEOEOE….MIEOEOEOE…. rats…" Ayame stood up. "The spirits got scared of you."

"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?!" Yuki yelled angrily.

"I'm trying to make an intimate relationship with the elemental forces on this house. I do it every midnight. But it all went away until you came in." He smiled. "What can I say? I'd rather sacrifice my time of leisure than spend less time with my brother."

"Now… what can I do for you?" Ayame asked softly.

Spend less time with me… Yuki sighed. "Please don't go to Paris."

"So… you have heard already. It's too late. I already got my promotion."

"I need you to be here for the vacation." He explained. "It's Tohru's birthday. I wanted her to be happy. I want everybody to be there."

"Do you think our little princess needs happiness?" Ayame asked.

"Of course… everybody needs that."

"Tsk, tsk tsk." The snake shook his head. "You have done so much but learned so little. But, since I, you older brother, is willed to guide you to the fullest, I shall cancel my flight for tomorrow… and maybe I'll push it to next week."

"Yes…" Yuki smiled. "Thank you, Onii-chan."

Ayame suddenly felt the chills then he started to jump. "YES, YOU CALLED ME YOUR BROTHER. AT LAST, I DID MY PART WELL! WOO-HOO!"

"Hey, pipe down, lunatic…" Yuki whispered under his breath.

-------------

Tohru stirred at her sleep and by the windows lurked a mysterious figure wearing a long black ragged cloak and carrying the same red paper on its hand. The grin shone on its face.

"Sohma… Tohru…" Its hand slipped the paper on the window and vanished through the night.

**You**

**Thought**

**Wrong**

****

**-----------**

_Freaky… and I loved that! Sorry for the delays. I need to buy an internet card just to post this chapter! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this on the early chapters. Basically, this is the sequel of the first fruits basket so there's a part here when Tohru and others were walking away from the main house. That was from the last episode, right? HAHAHA! Hey, how come I laughed?!_

_Yuki: lunatic!_

_Zoe: WHAT?!_


	6. 6

_Sorry for the really late update. I have been doing a couple of senior stuff. Very busy year, I should say. Here's the sixth chapter._

"Hey, what's that?" Yuki pointed at the red folded paper at Ayame's doorstep. He approached to it and examined it very closely. "You've got mail."

"…I haven't seen that, though." Aya wondered. "Mails usually are delivered in the morning, right? When the sun is up?"

"I suppose." He glanced at his watch. 2:30 in the morning.

"Maybe there's something wrong with your watch."

"Maybe there's something wrong with YOU." Yuki pressed as he got the paper from the floor and unfolded it. Bold lettered words were seen at the middle.

**IT'S NOT OVER**

"Freaky!" Ayame shrieked. "Who would write to me something like that?"

Yuki thought for a moment and remembered Hatori's call. "I have to meet Hatori." He got his coat and went out.

"Hey! Should I come with you?"

"I know where I'm going Aya." The nezumi mumbled.

"It's not about you!" Ayame yelled. "What about me?! Are you going to leave me here?!"

Yuki sighed. "Ok, you can tag along but never annoy me or anything."

"Am I that annoying?!"

-----

27 days to live.

Tohru woke up for the third time. Every time she went back to sleep, she dreamt more about the life of a Sohma and miraculously, her life with them.

_Am I really a part of them? I don't get it._

She got up from her bed and stretched her arms. She yawned heavily, and was happy that the penicillin that Hatori gave was working. But now, she felt that she needed another medicine for this: something that can erase her dreams.

_###_

_"Remind me again why are we packing." Shigure peeked inside Yuki's study. The nezumi was already fiddling with his book report. _

_"We are moving to Akito's home."_

_"And what's wrong with my house?"_

_ It was Tohru's request to do this." Yuki explained. "Well, I'm really against it but maybe it won't turn out to be so bad."_

_"Am I talking to Yuki?" He raised an eyebrow at him. "Yuki Sohma, the one who had the most horrifying experience with the clan head? Are you really sure about this? I mean, there must be some other way to--"_

_"I can't deny her request." The nezumi replied. _

_"Why is that?"_

_"… because I…love her."_

_###_

_"Remind me again why are we doing this." Hatori asked as he helped Tohru take out the luggage._

_"Hatori-san!" she pouted. "I thought you agreed with me!"_

_"Well, I did but… there are some things that you don't know about Akito and…"_

_Tohru stared at the doctor. "Why are you all so worried?"_

_He sighed. "It has never been a custom for Sohmas to live with the clan head unless it's a nurse or a doctor---"_

_"So you are allowed to live with him?"_

_"Yes, of course. It's my obligation and---"_

_"So, why are you worried?" she asked._

_Hatori bit his lip and held Tohru's hand. "There… are some things that are meant to be kept secret. One of those secrets is… um, Akito's life. That's why he lived in solitude. That's why we avoid him. And to remind you, he won't be very hospitable about this."_

_This gave Tohru the shivers, but she forced herself to smile instead. "I'll try my best to keep everything in order, Tori-san."_

_"Ok…" he nodded. But he still had that feeling that everything won't go well._

_Just then, Kyou walked out the door. He yelled at Hatori. "Remind me again why I had to come with you."_

_##_

_Tohru backed off to the corner of the room. She was scared and cold. Her nightdress was ripped at the seam and was hanging loosely at one side. Her eyes were fixed at the figure in front of her, striding slowly like a ghost with a knife on its hand. A wicked grin followed after its laugh._

_"Tohru… Sohma…" it hissed. "Why… don't you love me?"_

_"No…" she muttered under her breath. "Yuki…"_

_"Yuki? Are you looking for him? He's not here. He won't be here. He'll be gone forever."_

_"No."_

_"Don't deny. You are mine… and you won't deny."_

_##_

_The next thing she knew her face was an inch close to a man's face. He dipped his head to kiss her. For once, she felt an odd feeling. Scared and confused yet relaxed. _

_She backed off, and a grin formed in the man's face. _

_"At least for now, you should have noticed." The man said in a coarse voice. "I welcomed you in my home… and for once, I let you do everything… but I think you've gone too far."_

_The uneasy pain again. The blood on the floor. Yuki appearing by the door with tears in his eyes_.

It was all about her decision.

It was all about her life with them.

It was all about her "death".

_What happened?_

----------

Hatori examined the two letters he and his cousin received. "Same assailant."

"The question is who." Yuki nodded.

"The question is WHY!!!" Ayame panicked. "There must be something wrong on what I do. Maybe I should have used polyester instead of cotton on that dress---"

"The assailant is not pointing at the dress, Aya. It's pointing at us. What the clan has done." Hatori snapped. He stared at the letters. _You thought wrong. It's not over._ "Who could have done this?"

"I don't know…"

Yuki's mobile phone on his pocket rang. This was his private number. Only one person knew this number. He quickly got it and answered. "Honda-san, is there something wrong?"

"Yuki-kun, someone left me a letter this morning."

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's by the window…" she started. "In a red paper…"

"Don't do anything, Honda-san. I'm going home!"

----------

Tohru sat by the window, clutching the paper on her hand. She had not opened it because if she would, Yuki will be disappointed. She didn't want that. Making Yuki disappointed again.

_Wait a minute,_ she stopped and wondered. _Making him disappointed **again**?_

_Did I make him disappointed before?_

-------

Kyou sat at the roof with his guitar. At last, Kagura went to the grocery and Shigure spent some time on the phone with his editor. All of them are busy. Peace and quiet at last.

He held the guitar at the right position and tried some rhythm for his next song. _A song for Tohru._

--------

Tohru heard some guitar music. _Guitar?_ She wondered. Then suddenly, a flashback came to her.

_##_

_"Why should Kyou-kun move?" she asked._

_"My college is somewhere in the province." Kyou explained with a frown. "Sensei told me that I needed to have a stupid connection with nature_."

_"Really?" Tohru looked at him. "Well… there must be a way for me to go with you."_

_"What?! Go with me?" Kyou almost stumbled at his seat. "But you have a college degree here. You and Yuki are both scholars!"_

_"I know but… I want to be with Kyou-kun."_

_Kyou stared at her. "You want to be with me than Yuki?"_

_Tohru stopped and thought for a moment. The sound of Yuki's name made her heart beat at a different pace. She clutched her chest. **Stop, **she almost commanded her heart. **Do not feel like that.**_****

_"Yuki-kun has his own plans." She mumbled. "I think he forgot about me."_

_Kyou, at the corner of his mouth, grinned. "Hey, Tohru-san, do you want to hear my new music?"_

_Tohru's eyes lit with joy. "Yes, please!"_

--------

"T-Tohru-kun?!" Kyou almost yelled as the girl climbed up to roof and sat next to him. "W-What are you doing here!"

"I heard you playing your guitar." She smiled.

Kyou almost blushed in different shades of red but he shook it off. "W-Well, I'm bad at it anyway." He pushed the guitar at his side. _What a very bad timing!_

"I also remembered you playing a song for me." She said slowly. Kyou turned to her with a shocked face.

_She… remembered_. "T-There must be some mistake. I… I suck in playing!"

"No… really, I remember… and I was trying to forget…"

Kyou watched her at anticipation. _Say it… say it… no, forget it_…

"I was trying to…" she sighed. "To forget Yuki…"

Kyou didn't know what to say. But, as it acted like an involuntary action, he grinned at her declaration.

-----

Yuki stopped at the doorstep. He stared at the roof. Kyou and Tohru were there. It was the worst part of his life: witnessing his loss. 

He remembered like it was yesterday.

_I looked up to the roof. And I saw them… kissing each other. That was before... during college._

But now, he saw Kyou grinned at her.

The same thing happened.

And the same rage filled in his chest.


	7. 7

_Yeye! I'm having fun with horizontal lines! hehehe... sorry for the lines and enjoy the story._

* * *

* * *

Yuki felt the same numbness everyday when he comes home from work. But this one is different. It is because he caught the familiar sight of Tohru hanging around with his arc-rival.

* * *

_"What's wrong, Yuki-kun?" she asked him as Ayame got her measurements._

_"Are you sure you would like this guy to make you your high school graduation gown? I mean, we could rent from another store if you want."_

_"What are you talking about my dear brother?" Aya eyed his brother with the measuring tape on his hands. "I, as you know, am an expert on clothes. As a graduation gift, I would precisely make the best graduation gown for my little princess!"_

_"Thank you, Aya-san!"_

_"And, if you like, I will make one for you, Yuki." he grinned._

_Yuki turned away. "Whatever…"_

_"Aya-san, there will be a grad ball next week." Tohru smiled at herself in the mirror. "I was wondering if you would--"_

_"Make a gown for you?" Aya guessed. "Consider it done!"_

_"Yey!"_

_"As long as you would agree to go with my dearest brother."_

_Tohru stared at Yuki, who was a bit flushing. But he maintained his posture and grinned, "He was just joking. It's not like it's true or anything…"_

_Yuki was surprised when she sighed heavily. "Well, that was close. I thought I would have turned you down because I already have a partner."_

_Ayame stopped moving. Yuki almost fell back from his place. "P-Partner? Really? Who invited you?"_

_"Kyou."_

_From that place, Yuki felt his world crumbling down._

* * *

"Yuki-kun!" Tohru waved at him. Kyou was still grinning. Yuki, unaware, wore a blank face. Not waving back at her, he stormed to his room.

* * *

Tohru felt her hand tighten. _Is Yuki mad at me? _She felt herself shivered.

"Are you ok?" Kyou held her hand. _That damn rat came in a wrong time!_

"I-I have to see him." she stood shaking and went to the ladder.

* * *

Yuki locked the door behind him and threw himself to his bed. He had a bad day. He still had an outing to plan. Then his memories went back to him. For once, he regretted that he denied Hatori's request of erasing his own memories.

_It much better if you would let me… _

_No I don't want, _He shook his head. _These are the memories of me and Tohru. The last memories that I would want to keep!_

_But seeing Tohru with her memories with you forgotten would be hard. Take it from me. It took me years to recover to forget Kana. _

Now, he remembered clearly the moment he went inside the hall: the place where their high school graduation ball is taking place.

* * *

_"Have you seen Tohru?" _

_"Have you seen my Kyou?"_

_"I asked you first."_

_"I'm a woman."_

_"Fine." Yuki rolled his eyes. "I haven't seen him. I know they're going together"_

_"TOGETHER? Impossible!" Kagura was nearly in tears. "Kyou wouldn't leave me!"_

_"I know." he nodded. _That's why he wants to get away.

_"But, is that ok with you? Tohru with him?"_

_"Yeah… I guess so…"_

_"You guess?" Kagura asked. "Have you told her yet?"_

_"Told her what?"_

_"About Hatori? About traveling to a whole new place? About saying goodbye?"_

_Yuki thought for a moment. Since he was a member of the high council of their school, Hatori decided to arrange some seminars for the council somewhere in England. It would take about two months for them to complete the seminar. _

_Two WHOLE months without Tohru._

_"She wouldn't even mind." he forced himself to grin. "I'll tell her tomorrow anyway. Maybe now is not the time."_

_"Yuki, this IS the time because the flight is TOMORROW!" she pressed._

_Before he could answer back, he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Haru. "Have you been outside?" _

_"What?"_

_"I said, I have you been outside to get some fresh air?"_

_The nezumi shook his head._

_"You've got to see this."_

* * *

_"Have you told her about it?"_

_"Why is everybody asking me about that?!" Yuki almost shouted._

_"I think you should know you were a bit late to tell her about the flight." Haru said seriously._

_"What do you mean?" Somehow, Haru's tone was not pleasant._

_"Yuki, whatever you do, don't call out her name, ok?" Haru was already pressing. His eyes were entirely focused at him. "Don't call her ok?"_

_"What the hell are you talking about?"_

_Haru sighed heavily and opened the school back doors for Yuki to enter._

_Outside, Yuki heard some boys howling. "Give some more effort there, baby!" There were also girls giggling and shouting. Confusion rose inside him. _

_He stepped outside and his eyes caught the most erotic scene he has seen in his entire life._

_He saw Kyou on top of a large school picnic table with Tohru beneath him. His hands her clasping hers and their legs were intertwined. They shared a passionate kiss._

* * *

Since then, after his trip from England, he has been seeing him close to her, holding her hand, sharing some secrets together. He had heard enough from Kagura on the phone. Now, he had seen enough. He wished he just asked Hatori to erase everything.

_At least I wouldn't feel so uneasy_, he thought.

There was a silent knock on the door. "Yuki-kun? May I come in?"

Yuki groaned. For once he was not happy to see her. "I'm tired Tohru. Let's discuss about the paper later, ok?" he replied.

Then there was silence. No reply. No footsteps. Just silence.

Tohru was still there outside his door.

"Yuki?"

"I told you. I'm tired."

"I know it sounds crazy but… I think this happened before."

Yuki felt himself shiver. _How did she know?! _"What are you talking about? This never happened."

Tohru knocked again. "May I _please_ come in?"

"Tohru---"

"This is not Kyou's fault!" she yelled.

Yuki sat up from his bed and stared at the door. He heard a crying, sobbing, and Tohru's voice murmuring over and over again. "This is… not… Kyou's fault."

_Please Tohru, don't make me remember… _Yuki thought. Indeed, this had happened before.

* * *

_"What were you doing?!" Yuki yelled. "You almost embarrassed me!"_

_"Yuki, please don't yell at her!" Haru held his cousin back. There were back at Shigure's house, the day after the ball. Tohru was in tears and Yuki was furious._

_"I'm sorry… I just don't--"_

_"Don't tell me you don't know!" he yelled again. "You were not like that! What were you thinking?!" _

_"I just can't remember!" she whispered. Tears flowing down her face. "I just don't know…"_

_"Yuki, stop it. Now you're embarrassing me." Kagura snapped. She held Tohru close to her and patted her back._

_"I never knew that someone like you will be with… that neko!"_

_"He's not what you think he is, Yuki!" Tohru cried again. "I just--"_

_"Stop making those excuses! In the middle of the ball, in the middle of the crowd, INSIDE THE SCHOOL CAMPUS! I can't believe you have done such a thing!"_

_"Stop it Yuki." Shigure growled. "Never yell at her like that!"_

_"Then stop me." Yuki glared at his cousins._

_Suddenly, someone stomped inside the room, eyes were as furious as Yuki's. It was Kyou._

_Yuki felt the rage inside him growing. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "And you, neko, if you want to do that again, I--"_

_Before Yuki would even finish his sentence, Kyou walked towards him and punched him in the face. For once in his life, he fell down and felt something else aside from rage: pain._

* * *

"Tohru?" he called out. There was no answer. No sobbing. No murmuring.

_Shigure was right. I have no right to yell at her. I was so wrong. _"Tohru, I'm sorry, you can come in now."

There was still silence. Yuki felt confusion. "Tohru?" He went towards the door and opened it. Instead of Tohru, someone else was standing there.

It was Kyou.

Before Yuki would even say anything, Kyou punched him hard on the face. For the second time in his life, he fell down.

"Never… ever… make her cry." He whispered under his breath, then walked away.

Yuki felt the same rage, but he felt like laughing. Funny it is, Kyou said the same words like last time.

* * *

Tohru sat on her bed, drying her tears. She kept on wondering on what she said to Yuki.

_It is not Kyou's fault._

_What does that mean?_

Then before her eyes, she saw Kyou holding her hand. He was wearing a tuxedo while she was wearing a long pink dress. There were lights and people dancing. Then he gave her a glass on punch. Then she remembered… there was a picnic table.

And Kyou was…

She clamped her hands to her mouth. _Am I thinking right?_

_What are these things? Are these my memories? How come I forgot about them? _

_Why do I feel like I made Yuki angry for the second time?_

She glanced at the phone on the side table. _I don't understand. I need to call somebody._

Finally, she held the handset on her hands and started dialing.

* * *

* * *

Yehey! The seventh chapter. Finally I felt like writing again. Hahaha, I feel so happy until now. Thank you all for waiting. Sorry for the delay. I'll try my best to write again.


	8. 8

22 days to live.

The sun was way up high when a tall blond woman entered grocery store. She orders the same thing every day: A cup of frappucino and a straight-from-the-oven ham and cheese croissant. It was like any other day to her. But before she entered the store, her mobile phone beeped in the middle of the crowd. There she felt confusion.

Uotani Arisa had been Tohru's friend for years. But the accident during the college graduation threw their past away. Now, she's just a businesswoman under the management of Tohru's "father", which is another illusion made by them. There, their long-term friendship became a boss-worker relationship. Even so, she kept on checking her out whenever she had the time.

Uo spotted her friend at the farthest table of the store. While walking to towards it, she remember the day when Tohru was still on the hospital bed, begging her to forgive her.

_"For what, Tohru-san?" Uo asked while clasping her friend's hand._

_"For not following your advice." Tears fell from her eyes. Tohru was indeed crying inside and outside. "I… didn't tell him yet."_

_"But you should!" she almost yelled. "Or else, after erasing everything, you might not… treat Yuki the same way as you did…"_

_"Uo-san, that is my problem." Tohru sobbed. "Once I tell him… that I loved him so much… he might not let me go. At least this way, we'll be like friends again. And I'll feel the same way as Kyou."_

_"Tohru, you made that mistake last time. You loved Kyou. You loved Yuki. Now, you're just letting everything go--"  
"It's the easiest way."_

"Uotani Arisa?" Tohru stood up and stared at the taller woman.

Uo shook her head to get away from the past and pasted her best smile on her face. "Ms. Honda, I didn't know that you are interested in Starbucks."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're allergic to coffee beans." Uo said firmly after placing her tray of everyday food on the table. "And I didn't know that you meet your workers at any place, any time."

Tohru almost giggled. "I'm sorry, I-I really need to talk to you urgently."

"I'm for MWF. I'm laid off for today, Ms. Honda."

"Please, you're the only one I trust!" Tohru begged, which sounded awkward. Her father was the one of the most powerful people in world, conquering almost half of the US' budget. Now, she was just begging one of the workers to do something for her that is worth her life. Sounds awkward, but it's worth a try.

Uo stared at her friend closely. That was the same look back at the hospital. The same face and deep eyes. Uo couldn't do anything but to nod. "Ms. Honda, for five days I did nothing but to reschedule every single appointment that was set on this day. I'm not dilly-dallying about this. What is it?"

"I want you to search something from me." Tohru started out with a low whisper. "I've heard that you know someone that can actually hack my father's database and all the private files in it. I want you to get all the files and give me a hard copy as soon as possible."

This sounded mysterious and Uotani like this mysterious stuff. "Hmm, that sounds interesting. What are you planning to know?"

Tohru sighed and stared at her friend. "One of the people whom I think I know: Akito Sohma."

* * *

"Has she returned?" Shigure peeked inside Yuki's room. Yuki was still on his bed, motionless and silent. Shigure approved that silence can mean a lot of things. He quietly walked away from the room. 

It has been five days since that wrong encounter between him and Tohru. After that, he saw Tohru busying herself again, indulging into every work that was needed to be accomplished. Everybody was worried. Even Yuki himself (although he does not show it) was concerned for her. But all she did was flashed her convincing smile and assured everybody that she was ok.

During those five days, Yuki did nothing but to lie down on his bed. His vacation plan was cancelled. Now, his brother is in Paris, Shigure and Hatori are both indulged in their work and everybody else were just plain clueless on what they are going to do (especially Haru).

During that silence, his phone rang. Yuki did not budge. He did not want to take business calls at that moment. But after exactly 16 annoying rings, Yuki groaned and picked it up.

* * *

"Where the HELL ARE YOU?!" Uo's voice rang on the other end. Yuki sighed in relief. He thought it was someone else. 

"It has been a while," Yuki said.

"Yeah, I thought it was but after college, I started to think of you as a complete annoyance in my life!! How long am I going to work in that--stupid building?!"

"As long as you can, Uo-san. I apologize." Yuki replied honestly. After Tohru's bad fall, Yuki hired Uotani to work in an agency, which was once owned by their clan. The job was not fitted for her but for Tohru sake, she agreed.

"How's work today?" Yuki joked.

"Oh just like every other day…. HELL." She groaned. He heard her sat loudly on a couch and yawned. "Geez, I'd rather die than do paperwork."

"I can see that." he nodded. "And the purpose of your call?"

"Oh, just for you to know, Tohru met up with me today. She was darn serious. The last time I saw her wearing that face was her on the hospital bed." Uo muttered. "Did you have a fight with her or something?"

Yuki thought for a moment, then shook his head before he could even remember. "I saw her with the neko again."

Uotani sighed loudly on the phone. "How long should this rivalry last?"

"As long as it can. Cat and mouse never agree with each other."

"You both did once--"

"ONCE. It ends there."

"There's nothing you can do when it comes to true love." Uo sneered. "After that incident when Tohru touched Kyou's heart, they have been peas and carrots all the way to high school graduation. As for you, you worked so hard that you didn't even noticed that Kyou became Tohru's boyfriend."

Yuki almost dropped dead from that spot. "Boyfriend" seemed to be a very strong term, which can also be the reason why he hated Kyou so much.

"Acceptance comes with free will." Uo reminded. "You cannot accept if you don't actually _like_ to accept."

Yuki shook his head. He hated this topic. "Phonecall? Oh yeah, you met up with her. Did she mention something?"

Uo groaned again. "Nothing at all… except the name of your clan head."

"Akito?" Yuki wondered. "She mentioned Akito?"

"Yup, asked for every file and information about him."

"She mentioned that to me once. Akito left a will."

"Will?" Uo asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Why is that?"

"Every paperwork that is given to Tohru comes to me first. I didn't come across that. Maybe somebody placed that paperwork directly to her table."

_Akito's will. _"Got any ideas who can that person be?" Yuki asked.

"I'll tell you if I find out something. As of now, you should be able to talk to Tohru. Maybe she has something in mind."

"Something in mind? Are you telling me that she _remembers_ everything Hatori erased?"

"There's always a possibility." Then there was a long beep. Uo hanged up.

* * *

Before Tohru could even get a cab, she heard someone call her name. 

"Tohru-san! Ms Tohru-san!"

She turned and saw one of the workers under her. _Great. Another one._

"Ms Tohru-san, someone told me to give this to you." The worker handed over a small red paper. She felt herself shivered. Somehow, she couldn't control her feeling. Whenever her body has felt something, her mind made her think the same way.

"I'm sorry. Should I be expecting a message?" she asked formally.

"I don't know, Ms. But I'm sure it's urgent." His fingers shook. She knew it was not because of the weather.

"Ms Honda." Now, even his voice was shaking. "Please take it. I still have other messages to send."

She felt like she got no other choice so she took the paper. Before she could even ask another question, the messenger ran off.

Slowly, she opened the paper. The scribble was obviously quickly written, but readable. She read it twice before she understood what it was: an old address.

At that very same time, a cab pulled over. She thought of going home, but after glancing the red paper twice, she got in and showed to him the paper. "Do you know where this place is?"

_Yey, the eight chapter. Sorry for the long wait. I finally had the chance to write, after reading Iliad, Odyseus, Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, and El Fili (Filipino novel). --Sigh-- Being a senior sucks._


	9. 9

"Where have you been?" a friend called after Uo hanged up her phone.

"Somewhere with our old friend Tohru." She answered honestly.

"I fear something about her. Bad omen… weeping and disease all over her."

Uo laughed. "Hana-san, you never change."

* * *

Hatori closed the thick medical book he was reading for a week now. His secretary almost jumped after she heard a thud. "Hatori-san, do you need anything?"

The doctor wiped his forehead and groaned. "No… I guess. You can leave now."

She stood up and asked again. "Is there anything I can--"

"Thank you." Hatori replied firmly. With that, his secretary left.

After that, he heard a phone rang. There was no direct line to his office. He had his technician take the phone and place it to his secretary's desk. He didn't want to be disturbed. He knew he was a doctor, and he was wasting time reading those books. At least, for a week, he only concentrated on finding a cure. He didn't care if there was a pile of paperwork that was needed to be submitted soon.

All he cared right now was to find Tohru's cure.

The phone rang again. That was the only problem when he was left alone.

"This is Sohma Hatori's clinic." He mimicked his voice that should be recorded in the answering machine. "He is busy for today. Please leave your message--"

"I know it's you." Yuki gnarled.

Hatori almost smiled but he was too tired to even grin. "What do you want?"

"Hey, that line is supposed to be for Shigure and Aya-san!" he pouted. "At least try to sound jolly for me."

"You don't sound jolly for me."

"Ok, I just wanted to ask if Akito left a will or something?"

"Will? He's not even our father." Hatori sounded like crap. Actually, he felt like crap. Crap but frank.

"Odd, isn't it? I can't even imagine _him_ making a will for _us_! But Tohru found a paperwork about it."

"I think someone is trying to tell Tohru something." Hatori concluded. "With all the red papers and everything."

Yuki nodded. _That's what I said earlier._ "Do you think it's about the past?"

"I'm not sure." _If that would be possible, then there's a double-crosser in the family. _"Is she home yet?"

Yuki this time sounded worried. "It's getting late. I hope she's ok."

Hatori stood up from his chair. "You let her out?!"

"Hey, she can't be inside the house for a long--"

"You got to be kidding me!" _Great, just great. _"I tried to find a cure for her but once I find her dead on the street, I swear I will kill you!"

* * *

The cab stopped at the entrance of the forest. The driver glanced at Tohru. "This is the farthest place I can go."

"Where is the house?"

"That address you had on your paper, ma'am, is an isolated house. Nobody knew why it was there in the first place." He grunted. "And I don't have the guts to take you there. Sorry."

Tohru got out of the cab after paying him. "Thanks anyway."

"Be careful, ma'am. The forest is active when night."

She nodded back. She forgot it was getting dark.

Slowly, she entered the deep dark forest. She didn't understand why, but Tohru firmly believed that this forest is somewhat familiar to her.

* * *

"Now where are you going?" Shigure asked as Yuki got his coat.

"Out."

"You're leaving me?"

"Shigure." The nezumi grumbled. "You're nearly forty years old. Don't be such a baby."

"I'm not a baby!" He crossed his arms and pouted. "You're leaving me without my mumu."

"Mumu?" Yuki raised a brow.

"Food."

"Go buy your own." He grumbled again before stepping out the house.

* * *

_"Why are we leaving again?"_

_"Silly. We're not leaving. We're just moving."_

_"DO you think this is such a great idea?"_

_"Yeah, I mean living with him."_

While walking, Tohru heard voices inside her head. She thought she was just hallucinating because of hunger and cold. But it seems like the voices were getting louder.

_"Tohru, why are we doing this?" a familiar voice asked her. "He hurt you once. Are you willing to feel pain because of him?"_

_"I don't care, Kyou-kun…"_

She stopped. Suddenly, her head began to feel hurt and her knees were aching. She clasped her hands near her chest. She was cold. But Tohru felt another thing. She knew she felt happy. She felt she was safe.

She looked up and saw a familiar sight of small house in the middle of the woods. It looks old and shabby, but this made Tohru adore the house more. A house of memories. A house of the past.

She felt herself gasped and said, "The house of Shigure." She clasped her mouth and her eyes widened.

_House of Shigure? What was I saying?_

Her feet started moving involuntarily, which lead her inside the house.

* * *

_The sun was shining brightly._

_All of them, the five of them, stared at Tohru. Kyou and Yuki both wore shocked faces. Hatori face remained blank but obviously he was also surprised. Shigure was the first one who broke the silence._

_He chuckled lightly, which sounded more like a cough. "T-Tohru. Are you suggesting that we, all of the Sohmas, should live with.. Akito?"_

_She felt herself melting when all of them were staring at her. But, again, she remained confident and smiled back. "Hai."_

_"Why?" was the only think Hatori could say._

_"Tori-san, you said so yourself. He's misunderstood. That's why he needs company, which is us. Isn't it great?"_

_"Tohru, during New Year, I don't have any plans to stay inside that house for even a minute. But MOVING THERE?!" Kyou almost yelled._

_"Calm down, everyone." Yuki murmured. All of them then stared at him. "It's just a suggestion. Let's try it out. How can it be?" he smiled back at Tohru._

_She felt her hopes rise. At least she was not misunderstood._

_0000_

_"Remind me again why we are leaving?" Kyou asked as he entered Tohru's room._

_She chuckled lightly. "I suppose you hated it when I remind you that we are leaving."_

_"Why can't we just stay here?" She felt him standing directly behind her. "I mean, we can stay here if you want."_

_"I'm trying to fix your clan. At least, this is just a suggestion." She replied softly._

_"Now," Kyou asked again, "Why are we leaving again?"_

_"Silly. We're not leaving. We're just moving."_

_"DO you think this is such a great idea?"_

_"Yeah, I mean living with him."_

_Suddenly, she felt his hands grabbing her shoulder and turned her around for her to look at him. She was surprised but he was dead serious._

_"Tohru, why are we doing this?" He asked her. "He hurt you once. Are you willing to feel pain because of him?"_

_"I don't care, Kyou-kun…" She shrugged. "I always wanted to live a happy life with you, with Yuki, and with everyone in your clan. If one is against me, then this is not a happy life."_

_All Kyou could do was to stare back at her._

_"Ok, if you don't want to go, then tell the others, Kyou-kun." Tohru smiled. "But I would be very happy if you were there."_

_Kyou sighed heavily and grinned. "I guess I can make a deal with you."_

_"Sure." She grinned back._

_"I'll go with you… if you will go with me."_

_She felt her head twitch. "To where?"_

_"To the ball." He widened his grin. She almost laughed at him but all she could do was to nod back at him._

_000_

_"Have you drank vodka before, Tohru?" Kyou asked suddenly that night at the ball. First he refused to dance with her. Next, he decided to take her outside for a walk with no reason. Then out of nowhere, he asked her a question that is somewhat prohibited in school._

_"No, Kyou-kun." She shook her head. "I haven't."_

_"DO you want to?"_

_"I don't know…"_

_"I won't tell the nezumi…" he grinned. Tohru again had nothing to do but to nod._

_Then everything was quick._

_First she drank two wine glasses of vodka. Sooner or later, she was dancing around with Kyou, who also drank with her. Her head was flying and she felt all jumpy. She laughed even though there was nothing to laugh about. She didn't care if everybody else were laughing at them. For the first time, she felt so happy and drunk._

_"Kyou-kun!" she sang at the top of her lungs and he also was laughing. For a moment, she felt herself being lifted and placed in a large table. Everybody was howling when she felt someone climbing on top of her. She was still laughing and the vodka was soaring in her veins. Kyou smiled at her and his face radiated from the spotlights above them. He was so handsome and charming._

_"Kyou… kun?" she asked while smiling._

_Kyou didn't say anything. Instead, he pinned her hands and legs to the table and gently he dipped his head and kissed her passionately, devouring every piece of her. She felt herself kissing back, not letting go of him, giving up to every resistance she felt inside her body. She knew at that time that she had loved him more than everyone else. _

_Then she heard someone yell._

_Yuki's voice._

_Anger and hatred filled the room. Her head was aching, like it hit somewhere hard. _

_She cried out a name. _

_Nothing came back. Instead she again felt herself being lifted._

She opened her eyes… and saw Kyou above her.

* * *

Kyou was meditating by the mountains when he heard someone laugh. He doubted it because the closest house from his place was Shigure's isolated home, which was empty. But the laughing was continuous. So he climbed down and checked it out.

He has been there. He has seen enough. Like a maniac, she was dancing in the middle of the house like there was music. She was happy and laughing, until she stopped and dropped to her knees.

For the second time in his life, he saw her crying because of that damn rat.

Then she cried out a name. "KYOU!" She called before she passed out. He quickly went towards her and held her in his arms. He didn't care if he was too close. This was the right time for him to say something.

Tohru's eyes fluttered open and she saw Kyou above her, just like the flashback she saw inside her head. "Kyou.. kun?"

Kyou didn't say anything. He has to say something. He should, because this was the only time he was this close to her. But instead he kissed her lightly.

Tohru didn't feel surprised. Instead, she kissed him back.

_It's ok. _The voice came back on her head. It was the voice of Kyou comforting her. _I'm here._

* * *

_Oooh, this sounded like a kyoru. I'm so sorry. But this is how my story went. Don't worry, Yukiru will come soon. I hope I haven't angered Yukiru fans…_


End file.
